Oh heck yeah, gimme a wound-up small block 4-speed car any - make that every - day. Back in the day, you weren't considered a REAL door-car driver unless you could rip powershifts on a stock 4-speed at max RPM like it was an automatic. I fondly recall Ken Dondero powershifting a blown 301" T10 Thames gasser @ Lions, maybe 20 feet away. Freakin' glorious.
Another thought: Chris Karamesines is one of the very few who can be seen running in EVERY era of drag racing. May he live forever.